Material handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to material handling equipment having an elevator unit depending from a conveyor boom. Means is provided for loading the elevator unit at a location spaced along the elevator unit from said boom. The connection between the elevator unit and the conveyor boom is such that the former can swivel about an axis transverse to the latter and means is also provided whereby material can pass from the former to the latter at any of the angles that the former can occupy relatively to the latter.

United States Patent [19] Cox et a1.

[ Aug. 13, 1974 1 1 MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS [75] Inventors: EricReginald Cox, Ashchurch; John Shiel Clements Wall, Cheltenham, both ofEngland [73] Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Limited, London,

England [22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 334,566

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb, 22, 1972 Great Britain8166/72 [52] US. Cl. 198/88, 214/14 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 37/00 [58] Fieldof Search 214/15 R, 12,15 D, 15 E, 214/14, 13, 10; 198/36, 88, 90,95

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,421,787 7/1922 Kninmonth214/14 X 2,425,342 8/1947 Palmer 214/14 X FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,505,801 11/1967 France 214/14 1,272,784 11/1960 France214/14 1,233,329 l/l967 Germany 214/14 Primary Examiner-Frank E. WernerAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Kemon, Palmer & Estabrook [57 ABSTRACT Theinvention relates to material handling equipment having an elevator unitdepending from a conveyor boom. Means is provided for loading theelevator unit at a location spaced along the elevator unit from saidboom. The connection between the elevator unit and the conveyor boom issuch that the former can swivel about an axis transverse to the latterand means is also provided whereby material can pass from the former tothe latter at any of the angles that the former can occupy relatively tothe latter.

5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure PATENTED RUB] 31974 3. 828 .915

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MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS This invention relates to material handlingequipment and arose from a consideration of what is involved inunloading a large vessel containing bulk material such as ore, coal andother minerals.

According to the present invention there is provided material handlingequipment including a boom conveyor means by which material may be movedalong the boom, an elevator unit carried by the boom so as to berotatable relatively to the boom about an axis extending transversely ofthe conveyor, the elevator unit including an elevator and means foreffecting loading of the elevator at a location displaced along theelevator unit from the conveyor from a location laterally of the axis,and means whereby for any orientation within a range of the elevatorunit relative to the boom material discharging from the elevator passesto the conveyor.

By way of example, an embodiment of the invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawing which shows in side view aship unloader mounted on tracks at a quayside and suitable for theunloading of ore from a large carrier ship in the order of 250,000 tonfor instance.

The carrier includes a portal frame 1 provided with bogies 2 that run onparallel tracks 3 fixed to the quayside. A slewing platform 4 is mountedon the top of the frame 1 through a slewing ring 4a lying at the side ofthe frame 1 nearest the quayside. Bogies 4b fixed to the platform 4 andcooperating with an arcuate track 4c on the frame 1 enable the platform4 to be swung vertically around the axis of the slewing ring to anyorientation within a range.

A luffing boom extends laterally of the frame 1 and is mounted on theplatform 4 to pivot about a horizontal axis that intersects the verticalaxis of the slewing ring 4a. The luffing boom 10 is provided with acounterbalance 11 and wire ropes 12 and 13 connect the outer ends of thecounterbalance 11 and the luffing boom 10 to a post 14. The verticalangle of the luffing boom is controlled through the pulley arrangement15 that is controlled by the motor 16.

A belt conveyor 17 extends along the boom 10 and is arranged todischarge into a hopper 18 that is concentric with the slewing ring. Thehopper 18 leads to a lowering conveyor 19 that extends down the frame 1to deliver material discharged from the conveyor into means, indicatedat 20, by which the material can be removed from the site.

The boom 10 is in two parts, 10a and 10b connected together by ahorizontal pivot at 10c. The part 10b is horizontal and by means of theparallel linkage 28, it will remain horizontal during variations of theinclination of the boom 10 to the horizontal.

An elevator unit 30 hangs from the outer end of the part 10b of the boom10 into the hold of a ship, through the hatch 29. The unit includes arigid spine 30a carrying an endless bucket conveyor 30b, the upper endof the spine having a superstructure 31 into which the buckets of theconveyor empty. Below the superstructure 31, and extending to the sameside of the spine as the superstructure 31, is a bracket arm 32. Acoupling indicated generally by 33, by which the elevator unit 30 hangsis connected between the part 10b and the bracket arm 32. The coupling33 includes a part 33a that is connected to the part 10b of the boom 10by swivel means 33 that allows the parts to rotate relatively to eachother about a vertical axis that passes through the conveyor 17, butprevents other relative movement. The part 33a is pivotally connected tothe bracket arm 32, the pivot axis intersecting the axis of the swivelmeans 330 so that gravity maintains the orientation of the elevator unitconstant. From the superstructure 31, there extends a chute 35 of whichthe outlet lies above the conveyor 17 in alignment with the axis ofswivel means 33c. The inlet to this chute 35, is so disposed as toreceive material brought into the superstructure 31 by the bucketconveyor 30b and the arrangement is therefore such that material fromthe bucket conveyor 30b will fall on the conveyor 17 throughout a rangeof rotation of the elevator unit 30 relatively to the boom 10.

From the lower end of the spine 30a of the elevator unit, a support 40extends in the opposite direction to the bracket arm 32. Twin bucketwheels 41 are arranged for rotation about a horizontal axis on the outerend of the support and a gathering feeder conveyor 42 extends at aslight upward incline from this to the elevator 30b.

In use of the apparatus that has been described, the bucket conveyor 30bis fed by the bucket wheels 41 from a location laterally of it and thisfacilitates the emptying of bulk ore carriers easily and with highreclaim rates. The hatch 29 that gives access to the hold is of smallercross-section than the hold, but the bucket wheel reaches under theoverhanging part 50 of the deck structure. Since both the boom 10 andthe elevator unit 30 may be slewed, there is considerable freedom ofmovement of the bucket wheels 41 within the hold so that the chance of athick lining of material being beyond the reach of the unloader issmall. Moreover since the boom 10 can be slewed it can be parked alongthe jetty when not in use to permit free access of ships to the jetty.

We claim:

1. Material handling equipment including a platform with a luffing boompivotally connected thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, a secondboom pivotally connected to the free end of said first boom, meanscarried by said platform and connected to said second boom to maintainsaid second boom horizontal during variations of the inclination of thefirst boom to the horizontal, conveyor means mounted on the first andsecond booms by which material may be moved along said booms, adepending elevator unit carried by the free end of said second boom,means on said elevator whereby material may be fed to said elevator froma location displaced laterally of the elevator so as to be conveyed bythe elevator to the second boom, coupling means carried by the free endof said second boom and including a member for connecting the elevatorunit to said second boom for swivel movement about a vertical axispassing through said conveyor means on said second boom, said couplingmeans being pivotally connected to said elevator unit with said axis ofpivot intersecting the vertical axis of movement of said coupling meansin order to maintain the elevator unit in a constant orientationrelatively to the vertical throughout movement of the boom, and meanswhereby, for any orientation within a range of the elevator unitrelative to the boom, material discharging from the elevator passes tothe conveyor means.

wheel and the elevator.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the platform is rotatablymounted about a vertical axis on a supporting frame.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the axis about which theboom is luffable intersects the axis about which the platform isrotatable.

1. Material handling equipment including a platform with a luffing boompivotally connected thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, a secondboom pivotally connected to the free end of said first boom, meanscarried by said platform and connected to said second boom to maintainsaid second boom horizontal during variations of the inclination of thefirst boom to the horizontal, conveyor means mounted on the first andsecond booms by which material may be moved along said booms, adepending elevator unit carried by the free end of said second boom,means on said elevator whereby material may be fed to said elevator froma location displaced laterally of the elevator so as to be conveyed bythe elevator to the second boom, coupling means carried by the free endof said second boom and including a member for connecting the elevatorunit to said second boom for swivel movement about a vertical axispassing through said conveyor means on said second boom, said couplingmeans being pivotally connected to said elevator unit with said axis ofpivot intersecting the vertical axis of movement of said coupling meansin order to maintain the elevator unit in a constant orientationrelatively to the vertical throughout movement of the boom, and meanswhereby, for any orientation within a range of the elevator unitrelative to the boom, material discharging from the elevator passes tothe conveyor means.
 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which themeAns for effecting loading of the elevator includes a support extendinglaterally of the elevator and carrying means operable to removeparticulate material from a bulk of particulate material and convey itto the elevator.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which there ismounted on the outer end of the support a bucket wheel and a conveyorextends between the bucket wheel and the elevator.
 4. Apparatus as setforth in claim 1 in which the platform is rotatably mounted about avertical axis on a supporting frame.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4in which the axis about which the boom is luffable intersects the axisabout which the platform is rotatable.